GZIP and effect on Server load ?

[Defenestration]

I know enabling GZIP compression saves on bandwidth, but how does it affect server load (ie. CPU and RAM) ?

[bfarber]

If gzip is used, the server has to compress the files, so technically it does use a bit of server load. However, unless you set the compression level to like 9, it should be fine.

[cmanns]

If gzip is used, the server has to compress the files, so technically it does use a bit of server load. However, unless you set the compression level to like 9, it should be fine.

How do you change the compression?

[neen]

How do you change the compression?

It's a setting in the admin area, in the same spot as "Use compression?."

[bfarber]

How do you change the compression?

http://us3.php.net/manual/en/function.ob-gzhandler.php

ob_gzhandler compression level use zlib.output_compression_level, which is -1 per default, level 6.

To change the compression level on the fly, simply use ini_set:

<?php

ini_set('zlib.output_compression_level', 1);

ob_start('ob_gzhandler');

echo 'This is compressed at level 1';

?>

Note that I haven't really played around with this much - I've set compression level in scripts when using zlib.output_compression, but not ob_gzhandler. It's safer to just leave it on the server default usually.

[cmanns]

Sounds hard